Trihydro dirigible and airplane



June 30, 1931. v. E. EDWARDS TRIHYDRO DIRIGIBLE AND AIRPLANE Filed May 16, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVE TOR 2. 6. ATTORNEY mil/Iii June 30, 1931. I I v. E.YEDWARDS 1,812,627

TRIHYDRO DIRIGIBLE AND AIRPLANE Filed May 16, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

ATTORNEY Patented June 30, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VAN EVERY EDWARDS, SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS TRIHYDRO DIRIGIBLE AN D AIRPLANE g I Application filed May 16, Myinvention relates to dirigible air ships and an planes combined and has for its object' the improvement of the construction of the same in certain particulars which'in their novel features will be hereinafter describe-d ed in this invention which are thought to be novel additions of improvement over my invention for which I received Letters Patent #1,732,040 dated Oct. 15, 1929. The accompanying drawings are primarily intended to illustrate in diagrammatic form the essential characteristics of my combined dirigible air ship and air plane and do not illustrate the details of construction of this combination by me of the parts not essential to the illustration of the novelty of this invention which are omitted from the drawings. I A further object of invention in this combination is to provide greater lifting power, easier control over the machine and a more sensitive response to the adjustment of control members and particularly to provide a better control of the stability of the machine when in flight in the matter of more successfully controlling the position of the air ship in a storm to prevent it from rocking and rolling as is sometimes the case with the well known cigar shaped dirigible.

' The specifications and claims which follow set forth and recite the novel features of my invention including the improvements there-- in while the drawings illustrate the same. In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my trihydro dirigible and air plane disclosing some of the essential characteristics thereof. N

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the combination structure of my invention disclosing the essential preferred mounting arrangement 5 of the driving motors and driven propellers in my invention shown in their operative position on the control cabin of my machine; Fig. 3. is a front view of my invention. Fig. 4 is a perspective of a diagrammatic view of the air plane wing structure and elevator member structure and the control mem 1930. Serial No. 452,990.

bers therefor which are mounted for control from the control cabin of my machine.

Fig. 5 is a detail of the control apparatus of my invention which has to do with the steering of the air ship and air plane device.

Fig. 6 is a detail of the steering wheel and the elevator and air plane wing shifting control wheel.

Fig. 7 is a diagram disclosing the relative operating position of the tail rudder and elevator members.

Referring in detail to the diagrams illustrating the preferred principle of construction of my members in air ship and air plane combinations I provide in connection with a group of cylindrical gas containers 1 mounted in spaced relation about a circular frame 2- and a control cabin -3- supported along the base of frame 2 a pair 7 of side elevator members 4.- pivotally mounted intermediate the ends of the frame at point 5 so as to make them easily adjustable from the control cabin 3.

Secured to elevator members 4 is a group ofair plane wing members 6 supported by struts 7 and braced by brace members 8 so that all of wings 6- may be slightly tilted when desired to tilt elevator members -4.

Guard plates 9 and 10 are provided for limiting the pivotal adjustment of elevator members 4c-.

On top of wing members -6- and on to of elevator members 4l I provide air chan nels 11 and -l2 respectively for aiding in stabilizing my machine when it is navigating in a strong wind.

These elevator members and-air plane wing members which are connected to be pivotally adjusted altogether are controlled in their pivotal adjustment from a point Within cabin -3 where steering wheel -13 controls this pivotally mounted structure by elevating or lowering sleeve l4 on column -15-- the result of which is to pivotally move arms 16 and 17- mounted at bearings -18 and l9 for their support and controlling arms --20 and 21 connected with elevator members 4.- on respective sides of the frame 2.

.members -27 at the forward end of the frame and -28 at the rearward end of the frame.

Below cabin 3- I provide a landing motor 29 to aid in landing and to give a boost in the take-off.

My navigating motors -80- and 31 may be electric or gasoline motors or other suitable motors for such purposes.

In connection with the control of driven propellers -3Q mounted on shaft -33 within tubular cover 3t I operate a generator 35 to supply storage current to storage batteries within cabin 3- hrough wires -36- and 37.

In addition to this a compressed air pump 33- is operated from shaft -33 by belt 39-- so that compressed air may be stored in a tank adjacent or within cabin -3.

It will be seen that in the normal operation of motors -30 and -3l the wind pressure developed thereby through the rotation of propellers -4r0 and 41 the driven propellers -32 which are spirally mounted on shaft 33- will run approximately the same speed as these motors and thereby develop a power through the rotation of shaft -33 running generator 85- and air pump 38-. Tube 34 is adapted to act as a guide in directing the air pressure against driven propellers Elevator members lterminate at the rear in tail elevator members l2- and 43.

To those skilled in the art of air navigation it will be evident that the disclosure shown in the drawings and described in this specification and the claims will be mechanical principles rather than to emphasize structural details where for instance web members 4A are adapted to strengthen the mounting of the chamber members 1 in their operative position while other features of the disclosure will be further mechanical principles diagramniatically illustrated, herein described and recited in the claims which follow.

Having thus disclosed vention what I claim is:

1. An airship and an airplane combination comprising a plurality of metallic cylindrical containers, a frame rigidly sup porting said containers in spaced relation about a common axis; airplane wings operatively secured to said gas containers and supporting frame therefor and disposed at right angles to said gas containers; a control cabin longitudinally disposed along the lower level of said containers, a landing gear ad the nature of my injusta-bly mounted below said control cabin; a plurality of propelling motors and propellers operatively mounted along the longitudinal center of said frame structure and a plurality of secondary propellers operatively mounted on one shaft in line with said motors successively disposed in spiral fitting relation thereon; an electric generator controllably connected with said shaft of said secondary propellers and run thereby, a pair of side elevator planes rigidly secured at the forward end in a horizontal plane along the side of said gas containers and adjustably mounted. at the rear end thereof for aid in control of the lift and fall of the airship in flight.

2. An airplane and dirigible airship com,- bination comprising a plurality of parallel metallic cylindrical gas containers, a frame support therefor and a control cabin operatively secured to said frame, airplane wings operatively secured to said gas containers and frame so as to extend substantially beyond the sides of the containers, a plurality of navigating motors centrally disposed in alignment and a plurality of driven propellers aligned on a shaft in spiral fitting relation thereon to be operated by wind force from said navigating propellers, a pair of longitudinal side elevator fins rigidly secured at the forward end along the side of said containers and adjustably mounted at the rear end thereof; means for varying the speed of said secondary propellers and means for controllabl'y djusting said elevator planes and the rudders of the airship.

3. In an. airship and an airplane combination a frame a plurality of cylindrical. gas containers supported thereby and disposed in parallel spaced relation about a central axis; airplane wings operatively secured to said frame and disposed at right angles to said gas container, a control and passenger cabin. supported b theframe, a landing gear adjustably securec to the frame, a plurality of, propelling motors aligned along said axis and a plurality of driven secondary propellers spirally mounted successively on. a rotatable shaft in line with said propelling m0- tors and directly connected with an electric generator; said airship provided with a pair of side navigating elevators pivoted at the forward end and adjustable at the rear end for lifting or lowering said airship and con trol means within said cabin for regulating the speed and direction of movement of the airship; said containers and frame. held in operative relation by a. plurality of stabilizr ing webs woven between and about said con.- tainers.

4. An airship and an airplane combination comprising a plurality of metallic gas containers, a frame therefor, a cabin supported by the frame, a pivotally mounted pair of oppositely disposedelevator members secured to and operating with a plurality of wing members disposed across said gas container for simultaneous pivotal adjustment with said elevator members; said gas containers disposed in parallel relation and. concentrically spaced about a longitudinal cen ter; a plurality of motors and air propellers driven thereby, a plurality of air driven propellers spirally mounted on a single shaft in longitudinal alignment with said motors, a generator controllably connected with said shaft of the spirally mounted propellers; a plurality of compressed air pumps controllably connected with said shaft; means operatively connected between said cabin and said pivoted wing and elevator members and rudder members pivotally secured to the frame for controlling their adjustment; one or more of said metallic gas containers provided with compressed air storage compartments; said compressed air storage tanks aligned adjacent said cabin and disposed along the base of said frame provided at the' base thereof with an adjustable landing gear structure.

5. An airship and airplane combination comprising a plurality of metallic gas containers, a frame therefor, a control and passenger cabin supported by the frame, a pair of side elevator members pivotally mounted on the frame in longitudinal alignment with the gas containers and a plurality of airplane wings disposed across the top of the frame and fixed in their relation to said elevator members for pivotal adjustment on said frame; a fixed air channel secured to said airplane wings and aligned with said gas container members and a pair of fixed air channels respectively mounted on said side elevator members; means mounted in said control cabin for pivotally adjusting said wings and said elevators; said gas container members fixed in annular formation about a common axis, a plurality of air navigating motors mounted adjacent said axis in longitudinal alignment and a plurality of driven secondary propeller members spirally mount ed on the same axis; said axis directly connected with an electric generator and adjustable landing gear members secured to said frame.

In witness I hereunto set my hand this 24th day of April, 1930.

VAN EVERY EDWARDS. 

